Folding chair.



F. E. TIBBETTS.

FOLDING GHAIE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907.

Patented Mar.2 3, 1909.

FRED E. TIBBETTS, OF WEST SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed June 6, 1907. Serial No. 377,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED ERNEST TIB- BETTS, citizen of the United States, and resident of West Somerville, Massachusetts, county of Middlesex, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding chairs, more particularly of the nursery chair type, and is intended to provide a construction and arrangement whereby the chair when assembled for use will be strong, firm and rigid and yet shall be capable of being easily taken apart to permit the same to be folded in a small compass for packing and carriage.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred form of embodying my aforesaid invention.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of the complete assembled chair. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the nearer side frame of the chair swung back in position to be connected with or disconnected from the back of the chair. Fig. 3 is a front view of the chair, the left side frame being disconnected from the back to further illustrate the method of assembling. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the back and the seat in folded relation. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the means of securely locking the.

seat members to the side frames. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the tray and its supporting connections.

In the ractice of my invention as herein illustrated I provide a substantially vertical seat supporting back com rising stiles or uprights a interconnected y means of the cross slats a. As shown at a the side stiles at about the height of the arm of the chair are undercut on their outer faces to form an overhanging shoulder for a purpose presently to be described. The side frames of this chair are also made of vertical stiles I) connected by cross bars or slats I) and bearing at their tips flat overhanging arms 6 which terminate somewhat short of the rear portion of the frame. connected to the vertical stiles of the back frame by means of separable hinges b the male members of each hinge being secured to the same part, in this case a rear stile of the side frame, and the female members being secured to the other part, in this case the stiles a of the back, the object being to make The side frames are a pivotal connection that can be incidentally separated by lifting one part away from the ot er.

To prevent the accidental disconnection or separation of these separable hinges b the stiles a of theback are formed with the overhanging shoulders beneath which the rear stiles of the side franies'swing when they are placed in operative or assembled position. As shown in Fig. 2 the side frame is connected by lacing it in a position to the rear of the bao; and at right angles thereto in Order to interlock the hinge members If and from this position the side frames are swung through an arc of approximately 180 degrees, such swinging movement bringing the top of the rearward stiles into locked position beneath the overhanging shoulders a of the back, these stiles being of a length and size to form a snug engagement between said shoulders to impart rigidity and firmness to the structure.

The seat member 0 is pivotally connected to the back by means of the pivot stud or screws 0 which pass horizontally through the stiles a in position to engage and support the rear portion of said seat. The seat member has also pivoted beneath its front portion a front board 0 which is provided with dowel pins on either side edge arranged to fit in corresponding sockets formed on the inside faces of the side frame stiles I2. I11 order to prevent the accidental withdrawal or disconnection of. this dowel pin enga ement between the front board and the si e frames, I

rovide locking hooks 0 carried on the rear face of the front board 0 which are positioned to engage or catch over rearwardly rojecting pins carried on the rear faces of t e front stiles b of the side frames. forms an additional means of stiffening the structure as well as serving its usual urpose. It consists essentially of a flat table having secured to its under side angle brackets (Z whose rear faces carry dowel pins adapted to fit snugly into sockets formed in the front faces of the stiles 1). Here too I employ catches or hooks d fastened to the sides of the bracket pieces (Z to engage properly arranged screws or studs to positively lock the tray in osition.

It w' be observed that in the ractice of the invention the side frames are etachably locked both the back and to the seat section by firm and positive but easily disconnect- The tray (Z also 5 able j Qints; that the seat sections are capable of being folded back upon the back section, While the side frames may be Wholly disconnected so as to. be laid flat upon this folded structure, thus making it possible to store the entire device very compactly in a small space.

What I claim is:

1. A folding chair embracing its: con; struction a vertical back forming the roar support o t e hair s at, op. .e i e si e rams p e el y co ne wi ht e back. by

se arable hinges swung about vertical axes ieh f rm, late al suppo for he seat le f' the ack b ing nd rc t to v heng e. ide. rame hen n assemb posin n er t lo k. t e separa hi ges om be ng disconn d, endfa eat pi o e to he b c an ha ing detachab e s pp t- FRED n. 'riBB'Ir-"rs.

III t e presence of ARTHUR F. RANDALL, GEO. N. GODDARD. 

